Fast-casual and quick-serve restaurants are not just banking on the same old flavors for this year’s Thanksgiving-focused limited-time offers (LTO). Many are featuring unique takes on turkey via salads, sandwiches, soups, and other dishes. Thanksgiving and holiday LTO desserts have gotten a new...

There was a time when chains feared that offering their food in supermarkets would keep consumers away from the restaurants. But that archaic notion has gone by the wayside as quick-service brands are increasingly finding a great deal of success offering some of their products at retail.
Take, for...

Chick-fil-A joined the breakfast innovation bandwagon with a renewed commitment to offering better coffee. And the chicken chain took the initiative one step further by partnering with a network of specialty coffee farmers in Central America known as THRIVE.
The handpicked, proprietary coffee blend...

In acknowledging the modern reality of the franchise business model in California and in the U.S., the California Supreme Court earlier this year recognized and reaffirmed the contractual benefits received by both parties to a franchise relationship while further defining the limits of liability...

As companies strive to hire the best managerial talent, hiring departments have a number of strategies at their disposal, which can save time in the process. Consider these seven strategies next time you review potential recruits for a management position:
Any record of job-hopping? By looking at...

Acquiring new restaurant technology can be a tricky business. Because of ever-decreasing prices, an operator may not want to be the first to buy a new application or software system. Plus, no one wants to invest in untested equipment, regardless of its technological prowess.
But, at the same time,...

Phil’s Sliders proves good things come in small packages. The 44-seat eatery in downtown Berkeley, California, features a $2.75 local, grass-fed beef slider alongside other mini-sandwich creations, including fried chicken, portobello mushroom, and vegetarian sliders. Founded in 2011 by foodservice...

Pizza Hut rolled out a major brand reboot this week, a move that many see as an appeal to the Millennial generation and a response to the booming fast-casual industry.
The world’s largest pizza chain, a division of Yum! Brands, is adding a wave of new ingredients, some lower-calorie alternatives,...

Smoothie Factory Juice Bar, a leading retailer of real fruit smoothies, fresh cold-squeezed juices, and nutritional products, enjoyed a record year for growth and development in 2014, adding 20 new locations for a total of 52 locations under its new parent company, BRIX Holdings, LLC.

Meatheads will be offering a special hot dog on its menu this spring, the Bickell Dog, created in honor of Chicago Blackhawks Left Winger Bryan Bickell, his wife Amanda, and their charity, the Bryan and Amanda Bickell Foundation. The foot-long Vienna Beef hot dog is topped with chili and Fritos...

Recent severe weather has many operators nervous about the potential effects on commodity prices. But Dewayne Dove, vice president of risk management for SpenDifference, a chain restaurant purchasing cooperative, says there might be some relief ahead for operators.

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop announced the upcoming arrival of their first-ever Illinois location, broadening the company’s national presence to 17 states and federal districts. Franchisees Andy Poch and Craig Garofalo will be operating the new restaurant, projected to open in late 2015.

Rodney Harper has been eating Dickey's Barbecue Pit since he was a little kid, and now at the age of 61, he'll bring a barbecue tradition to Palm Springs, California. The first Dickey's Barbecue location in Palm Springs opens on February 12 at 11 a.m. with a three-day grand opening.

When fast-casual chain Zoës Kitchen Inc. debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last April, the Plano, Texas–based Mediterranean-style eatery recorded its initial public offering at $87.5 million. Satisfying an investor appetite for investments within the trendy fast-casual space, Zoës’ strong...

Kevin Kester’s family has been farming in the U.S. for generations. And it’s not just a couple of generations they’ve been farming; more like generations upon generations, way back to the 1600s, specifically in California since the 1860s. Today, Kester owns a 22,000-acre beef cattle ranch in...

When Lori Newcomb found out she had stage III ovarian cancer last year, she made it her mission to learn more about the disease and help other women fighting the same battle. She sat down with her husband, Chris Newcomb, cofounder and CEO of Southern quick-service chain Newk’s Eatery, and together...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...

Though U.S. consumption is well below other proteins today, seafood will likely be an increasingly important part of the American diet in the years to come. The country’s population is predicted to grow by 89 million between 2010 and 2050 to 401 million people. More people require more food—and...

Convenience stores are increasingly taking a larger slice out of the quick-serve pie with fresh food offerings. It’s become such a lucrative business for C-stores that Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based C-store chain that this week opened its 500th location, is planning stores designed more as fast...